25 November.... Malaysian Indian Awakening Day

Malaysian Indians are treated like third-class citizens. The community has been suffering in silence for decades. On the 25 November 2007, Malaysian Indian bravely voiced out that there are something wrong in the community and need serious attention from government. Lack of education opportunity, economic status, uncontrolled abolishments of temples and thousands of problems haunting Malaysian Indian from time to time thus these problems should be addressed immediately.

Tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse a crowd of over 30 000 people as Malaysian Indian rallied on several places around Kuala Lumpur on 25 November 2007. The protesters are calling for reparations from the UK for sending Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers a century ago. The activists also demand measures to improve the living standards of Malaysian Indian. Ethnic Indians gathered in Kuala Lumpur carrying Malaysian flags and placards. Some demonstrators were beaten and bundled into police vans, as tear gas and water cannon were fired into the crowd.

Malaysian Indians are increasingly being marginalized, economically as well as socially. More than 30% of Indians do not own a house; over 300,000 Indian poor have been evicted from their plantation livelihoods and residences; and there were 21.1 suicides per 100,000 Indians a year 2005, the highest rate amongst all communities. Indians also have the lowest life expectancy at birth amongst the major races.

Until now, the problems faced by the Malaysian Indians are not being attended by the Malaysian Government. One wonders whether Malaysian Indians belong to the third major race or to a third class race in own country. Government should have new plan to end the marginalization of Malaysian Indians as well as other marginalized groups in the country, whether Kadazan-Dusun-Murut in Sabah, the Ibans, Penans, other minorities in Sarawak and Orang Asli.